“Let us go forward. We are in the hands of God. There is no better place we could be.”

Mother Maria Luisa Josefa of the Most Blessed Sacrament,

Foundress of the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles

Mother Luisita: A Pilgrimage of Faith

Following the footsteps of Mother Luisita and the founding Sisters in the United States from 1927 to 1930.

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Introduction

“One thing that will be of decisive importance in this year is retracing the history of our faith, marked as it is by the unfathomable mystery of the interweaving of holiness and sin. While the former highlights the great contribution that men and women have made to the growth and development of the community through the witness of their lives, the latter must provoke in each person a sincere and continuing work of conversion in order to experience the mercy of the Father which is held out to everyone” [Porta Fidei (PF) #13]. “May your life in that little corner of the earth be as a bonfire of love, consuming itself in the love of God and zeal for souls. Yes, win many souls for Him by your prayers, good example and teaching” (Mother Luisita, Letter #17). Prayer: Heavenly Father, You have given us the great gift of our Catholic Faith. May it be for your greater honor and glory that we proclaim it and live it with zeal for souls and love for your Holy Name. Increase our faith, O Lord. Send your Holy Spirit into our hearts to consume and transform our lives into living witnesses of Your kingdom, for you live and reign as King with your Son, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.

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It is necessary for us to live the Eucharist. The Eucharist is Love and only Love, and so, it is necessary that we perfect love within us. Each one should constantly renew and perfect that love within their own soul, and by being true disciples of Christ and living in His love, fan the flame of that love into greater intensity.

(Mother Luisita, Letter #329)

Conclusion We pray that this pilgrimage of faith in the footsteps of Mother Luisita will grant us a renewed perspective in our spiritual life, and may it “...make our relationship with Christ the Lord increasingly firm, since only in Him is there the certitude for looking to the future and the guarantee of an authentic and lasting love” (Porta Fidei, #15).

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Amtrak Union Station (June 24, 1927) Arrival in Los Angeles from Mexico 800 N. Alameda St. Los Angeles (213) 624-0171

Fleeing the religious persecution in Mexico, Mother Luisita, Mother Margarita Maria and Mother Teresa of Jesus arrived in Los Angeles on June 24, 1927, feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. “Our beloved travelers arrived at Nogales… ‘As soon as we crossed the Mexican border,’ says Mother Teresa, ‘Mother Luisita invited us to thank our Lord for bringing us to a free country….Our kind Foundress would not

cease to repeat her hymn of thanksgiving’” (Chronicles, pg.57-58). Ramon Ugarte, Mother Luisita’s brother-in-law, met them at the station.

Reflection:“The ‘Door of faith’ (Acts 14:27) is always open for us, ushering us into the life of communion with God and offering entry into His Church. It is possible to cross that threshold when the word of God is proclaimed and the heart allows itself to be shaped by transforming grace. To enter through that door is to set out on a journey that lasts a lifetime” (PF #1).

Do I believe, when listening to the Word of God, that He will bring me across the threshold of my fears and insecurities to a true encounter with Him? Do I, like the founding sisters, take time to praise/thank our Lord throughout the day for gifts received?

“I know that you might be overwhelmed with sadness right now, but if that state is filling your soul with merit before God, what does it matter if you are deep in sorrow? Knowing that this sadness is not eternal is enough. Isn't it true? ” (Mother Luisita -Letter #19).

Closing Prayer: Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we who have begun our pilgrimage of faith on earth, may be granted the great grace of perseverance until death. May our lives be a fragrant offering to your merciful heart, and that, by your grace, they may be spent in total thanksgiving and gratitude. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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Rooming House (June 24-27, 1927) 647 W. 18th St. or 639 W. 18th St., Los Angeles (Near corner of Georgia and 18th St.)

When our three sisters first arrived, they stayed at a rooming house on the corner of Georgia and 18th Street. The Sisters were amazed to see Protestant churches on the other three corners. Two churches still stand. One is the Adventist Church (657 W. 18th St) located on the corner of Georgia and 18th St. The other church is a very small mission chapel located at 1719 Georgia St.

across the street from the Adventist Church. It is surrounded by a parking lot. Reflection: “[The journey] begins with baptism, through which we can address God as Father, and it ends with the passage through death to eternal life…whose will it was…to draw those who believe in Him into His own glory (cf. Jn 17:22). To profess faith in the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is to believe in one God who is love (cf. 1 Jn 4:8)” (PF, #1). How does the virtue of faith help to bring unity in the midst of diversity? Closing Prayer: We thank you, O loving Father, for the gift of faith in your Son, Jesus Christ. That through the gift of baptism, we have died with Christ and now live in the light of faith which has been revealed to us through His life, death, and resurrection. May our faithful living of our Catholic faith be a shining light of hope for your people who have yet to ascend to the fullness of truth. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

The Rooming House

Protestant Church near Rooming House

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St. Patrick’s Church 1046 E. 34th St. Los Angeles (34th St. & Central Ave.) (323) 234-5963 St. Patrick’s Church was destroyed in the 1933 earthquake. Nothing of the Church remains. It was in this Church that Mother Margarita Maria made her final profession on July 16, 1930. Reflection: “By faith, men and women have consecrated their lives to Christ, leaving all things behind so as to live obedience, poverty and chastity with Gospel simplicity, concrete signs of waiting for the Lord who comes without delay” (PF #13). Do I often recall the graces given to me at my initial response to my Lord’s call to a more intimate relationship with Him? Do I recognize my vocation as a gift to the Church more than it is for me as an individual? Closing Prayer: O God, who willed that the grace of baptism should flourish in these your servants, so that they might strive to follow more closely in the footsteps of your Son, grant, we pray, that they may add to the holiness of your Church and increase her apostolic zeal. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. Sources: Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles, Early Chronicles of Our Institute. Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles, In Love’s Safekeeping - The Letters and Writings of Mother Luisita Volume I and II, Printed by Mr. Joseph Amagrande, 1999. CMSWR, The Foundations of Religious Life, Ave Maria Press, 2009. Gambari, Elio, Religious Life, Daughters of Saint Paul, 1986. Pope Benedict XVI, Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2011.

Mother Margarita Maria outside of St. Patrick’s Church, 1930, at the

time of her perpetual vows.

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St. Patrick’s Convent (August 29, 1929-43) 1045 E. 34th St. When Msgr. Ott was transferred from Holy Innocents Parish to Saint Patrick’s in Los Angeles, the Carmelites followed because Holy Innocents could not support them at the time. Msgr. bought the old convent of the Sisters of Joseph of Carondelet from Holy Name Parish and had it moved to the empty lot across the street from St. Patrick’s Church. The sisters remained in St. Patrick’s Parish until October of 1943. While there, they took care of orphan girls and were also involved in census-taking. This house is still standing. Reflection: “Indeed, many Christians dedicate their lives with love to those who are lonely, marginalized or excluded, as to those who are the first with a claim to our attention and the most important for us to support, because it is in them that the reflection of Christ’s own face is seen. Through faith, we can recognize the face of the risen Lord in those who ask for our love. ‘As you did it to one of the least of my brethren, you did it to me’ (Mt. 25:40). These words are a warning that must not be forgotten and a perennial invitation to return the love by which he takes care of us” (PF #14). Msgr. Ott saw in the face of the sisters, Christ whom he desired to help. Do we believe God will continue to provide us with our present and future needs? Closing Prayer: God our Father, through your providential care, you give us all the temporal goods necessary to fulfill your holy will. Through the gift of our baptism, strengthen within us the virtues of faith, hope, and love, so that in all sufferings, trials and tribulations, we may continue to look to you as our only need. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever, Amen.

Monsignor Francis C. Ott

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Chancery Office (June 25, 1927) 108 W. 2nd St., Los Angeles (rented office in Higgins Building) The day after their arrival, the sisters went to the chancery office to meet with Bishop John J. Cantwell. Father Leroy Callahan, who also worked there, was called in to meet the Sisters since he was fluent in Spanish. He recommended the Carmelites stay with the Immaculate Heart Sisters. This building now belongs to Union 76 and can be seen from the roof of the Immaculate Heart Convent. Reflection: “How beautiful obedience is! And with what ease it leads us to heaven! Receive Holy Communion always. Consecrate your soul and those of your religious to the Sacred Heart every day morning and evening and ask for the blessing of God our Lord to help you do all of those zealous deeds which He has commanded” (Letter #37). Do I obey those in authority with love and as obeying Jesus Christ, Himself? Do I truly embrace Mother Luisita’s spirit of obedience? Closing Prayer: O good and righteous God, you who grant authority to created things, may all in positions of authority dispense their sacred duty in justice and right, enabling those whom they govern to obey in freedom and in truth. Grant us docile hearts, that moved by the promptings of the Holy Spirit, we may always submit to those in authority who stand in your place. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Reverend Leroy Callahan

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Immaculate Heart Convent (June 27-Aug. 3, 1927) 832 Green Ave. Los Angeles (behind Immaculate Conception Church) (213) 382-5931 Father Callahan arranged with Sister Gertrude, the Superior of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, for the Carmel-ites to stay with them at their convent for a short time. The convent is located directly be-hind Immaculate Conception Church in Los Angeles. The sister’s chapel is now being used as a CCD office. It has been vacated for some years but is still furnished. It is a two-story building with 10 bedrooms. Reflection: “By religious profession, a person is united not just to the par-ticular institute but to the Church…moreover, the religious is dedicated to the welfare of the entire Church, taking on the duty of strengthening the Kingdom of Christ. Each religious becomes a sign that can and ought to attract all the members of the Church” (CMSWR, pg. 182). How does my witness draw others to Christ? Do I try to encounter the living Christ in each person with whom I come into contact, thereby loving them for who they are and bringing them to the Father? Closing Prayer: God and Father of our heavenly homeland, watch over your souls on this pilgrimage of faith that while seeking to find a place of rest here on earth, we never lose sight of our ultimate destiny in heaven. Grant us the grace of our Immaculate Mother’s protection. Give us peace of soul and the necessary graces that are pleasing to you, our God. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Sr. Mary Gertrude Barrett, IHM

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Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe 1862 Chestnut Ave. Long Beach The sisters went to Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel daily for Mass. It was located a few yards from the house on Chestnut Ave. on the left side and has since been demolished. A garage complex now stands at the location. Reflection: “By faith, Mary accepted the Angel’s word and believed the message that she was to become the Mother of God in the obedience of her devotion (cf. Lk 1:38). Visiting Elizabeth, she raised her hymn of praise to the Most High for the marvels he worked in those who trust him (cf. Lk 1:46-55)” (PF #13). Recall how your devotion to our Blessed Mother has grown over the years. What fruit has been born in your life of faith as a result of this devotion to the Mother of God? Closing Prayer: O God, Father of mer-cies, who placed your people under the singular protection of your Son’s most holy Mother, grant that all who invoke the Blessed Virgin of Guadalupe, may seek with ever more lively faith the progress of peoples in the ways of justice and peace. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Cambodian Center (Mission Church) 1851 Cerritos Ave. Long Beach (across from Martin Luther Park)Affiliated Parish: St. Anthony Catholic Church) (562) 591-8477 Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church was the original St. Anthony’s Church which was moved to its present location in Long Beach. The sisters went to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church for Mass once a week. During school hours, the sisters took the census in both the parishes of Holy Innocents and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. They also taught catechism in some Parochial centers and visited families in the parishes. Mother Luisita was very happy with the new missionary work of her daughters. This Church now serves as a mission church for the Cambodians living in the area (Chronicles pg. 64). Reflection: “We must rediscover a taste for feeding ourselves on the Word of God, faithfully handed down by the Church, and on the bread of life, offered as sustenance for his disciples (cf. Jn 6:51). Indeed, the teaching of Jesus still resounds in our day with the same power: ‘Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life’ (Jn 6:27)” (PF #3). Do I daily feed on the Word of God as sustenance for my prayer life? How does Sacred Scripture permeate my day and my relationship with others? Closing Prayer: God our Father, in your being lies all Truth. Help us to see the face of your Son, Jesus, through your Sacred Word. Grant also, through the promptings of the Holy Spirit, we may be filled with the wisdom and knowledge to place you above all things, and thereby live our earthly lives with our hearts firmly fixed on spiritual realities. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church

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Immaculate Conception Church 1433 James M. Wood Blvd. Los Angeles (On the corner of Green and James Wood—Near Union Ave.) (213) 384-1019 Immaculate Conception Church was most likely the first church Mother Luisita visited when she arrived to Los Angeles. It was also Cardinal Timothy Manning’s first parish assignment after he was ordained on June 16, 1934. He served as curate for one year before being sent to Rome for post-graduate studies. Reflection: “Canon 663 § 2 encourages religious to visit the Blessed Sac-rament daily. The encounter with Jesus leads them to respond gratefully to the gift of God who constantly pours His life into the members of His body. Dwelling with Him, they enjoy and nurture an intimate friendship in faith, hope, and charity. The spiritual fruits they derive from it are manifold, among which are love of neighbor and an ecclesial spirit that leads them to offer themselves for the peace and unity of the Church” (Gambari, pg. 363). How does my relationship with our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament fulfill my desire for union with God? Does He hold the primacy in my life throughout my daily activities? Closing Prayer: Grant, we pray, Almighty God, that your solemn pledge of the divine Sacrament may stir our hearts with burning charity to serve the Church and the human family. May your Mystical Body always remain that holy people formed as one by the unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, which manifest to the world, the Sacra-ment of your holiness and unity and leads it to the perfection of charity. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Immaculate Conception Church

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Nicolasa Gomes Flores Home (Aug. 4-Oct. 1, 1927) 1851 Locust Ave. Long Beach

Father Callahan made arrangements for Mother Luisita and the sisters to go to Long Beach to work in the parish of Holy Innocents where Msgr. Francis C. Ott was pastor. Holy Innocents par-ish did not have a convent so Father Callahan arranged for the sisters to stay with Mrs. Nicolasa Flores and her three children. This home had been a haven for many Mexican refugees during the persecution in Mexico.

Bishops, priests, nuns and lay people had all stayed there at various times. The house became known as the “Christian Soldiers’ House.” It still re-mains standing. Reflection: “Faith grows when it is lived as an experience of love re-ceived and when it is communicated as an experience of grace and joy” (PF #7). We live in a culture where, frequently, “love” is taken ra-ther than given or received. How has my own sense of belonging com-pelled me to reach out to others, helping them to know and experience love received? Closing Prayer: God of light and peace, in our darkness of faith, grant us a deeper knowledge of your abiding presence and send us everything we need to persevere in our earthly journey. In-flame our hearts with love that we may submit to your most holy will, So that whether we are in sadness or joy, you will become our all in all. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Ho-ly Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Flores Home

Judy & Richard Flores, grandson of Nicolasa Flores. Richard is

holding what is believed to be the picture seen by Mother Luisita

and companions when they first arrived at the Flores home.

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Holy Innocents Church 425 E. 20th St. Long Beach (20th St. and Pasadena Ave.) (562) 591-6924 Holy Innocents church was the sister’s parish until August 28, 1929. The exterior bell was donated by the Flores family. During that period an opening had been found for twenty sisters in the domestic department of St. Mary’s College, Oakland, California. The sisters unburdened their sufferings before Our Lord in the tabernacle. They prayed for their coun-try and its freedom, they missed their land and wished to go back to Mex-ico. Mother Luisita understood their anguish but she felt that it would be best for the sisters that they should joyfully conform themselves to their life in the United States, and consider their presence in America as God’s holy will (Chronicles pg. 62). Reflection: “The Eucharist is ‘the summit towards which the activity of the Church is directed;’… and also the source from which all its power flows” (PF #9). During my time in adoration or visits to the Blessed Sac-rament, do I ask God for the favor of increasing my devotion to His Precious Body and Blood in order that I might find the strength to follow His will every day? Closing Prayer: God our Father, by your great love, you daily conde-scend yourself into the Holy Eucharist, the source and summit of our Christian life. By our faithful worship and adoration of your Sacred Body and Blood, grant us the strength to respond to your call and fill us with your heavenly merits and blessings. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Holy Innocents Church

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House on Chestnut Avenue (March 25 1928-Aug. 28, 1929) 1830 Chestnut Ave. Long Beach

One morning Msgr. Ott was leaving the Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe and noticed a large house being moved from Atlantic Ave. to an empty lot on Chestnut Ave. only a few yards from the chapel. He purchased the house for the sisters. By August of 1928, more than 30 sisters were living in this house. The house became known as “the miracle house” by the Mexican people because of the extreme poverty the sisters were living in and yet they

persevered with joy and zeal. The sisters sold used clothing in the house as a means of support. This house still exists and is now a duplex. Reflection: “By faith, the Apostles left everything to follow their Master (cf. Mk 10:28). They believed the words which he proclaimed the King-dom of God present and fulfilled in his person…By faith, they went out to the whole world, following the command to bring the Gospel to all crea-tion and they fearlessly proclaimed to all the joy of the resurrection, of which they were faithful witnesses” (PF #13). Do I daily “leave every-thing” to follow my Master in the small and big decisions of my life? In what ways can I release my grasp on things that keep me from following Him with an undivided heart? Closing Prayer: All powerful and ever living God, You who have des-tined us for heaven, enkindle our faith as You did the Apostles, who left everything to follow their Master. Give us the courage to go out to the whole world and fearlessly proclaim the joy of the resurrection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the uni-ty of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Chestnut Avenue House

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House on Cedar St. (Sept. 12, 1927– March 25, 1928) 1891 Cedar St. Long Beach (Corner of Cedar Ave. and 19th St.): House has been demolished. Mother Luisita arranged to bring five more sisters from Mexico to Long Beach because of contin-ued persecution in Mexico. The Flores home became too small for so many sisters so Msgr. Ott found a house for the sisters on Cedar Ave., approximately 19 blocks from the beach (Letter #28). While at this location, the sisters attended Mass and other religious services at the parish church un-til they acquired funds for their own chapel. In anticipation of the needed funds, Mother Luisita had asked that a tabernacle they had brought with them from Mexico be placed on a table, so as to oblige Our Lord to come to it (Chronicles, pg. 59). Within the days of the novena to St. Therese, the needed funds were acquired and the chapel was dedicated to the Little Flower on the first Friday of November, 1927. Reflection: “The Church as a whole and all her Pastors, like Christ, must set out to lead people out of the desert, towards the place of life, towards friendship with the Son of God, towards the One who give us life, and life in abundance” (PF #2). The persecution in Mexico brought about the physical growth of the com-munity in the United States. Can I attribute interior struggles and perse-cutions with spiritual growth in my own life? In times of dryness and des-olation, do I, like Mother Luisita, dispose my will to receive God’s future blessings? Closing Prayer: O loving Father, all good things come from you. Help us to embrace the crosses you send, for through them you teach us patience and conformity to your loving will, and provide us with proofs of your infinite love. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

1891 Cedar St. (demolished) House where the celery soup incident took place.